'Cuteness in my arms': Queen Rania's new post about granddaughter Princess Iman

Jordan's King Abdullah II, second right, looking on as his wife Queen Rania, left, holds their newborn granddaughter Iman. Jordanian Royal Palace / AFP

Queen Rania has shared a new photo of herself with her baby granddaughter.

The casual shot shows Queen Rania, dressed down in a white T-shirt, trousers and socks with her shoes off, and with her legs up on a stool as she cradles her granddaughter, Princess Iman bint Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, in her arms. King Abdullah sits across from them.

“So much cuteness in my arms,” she captions the photo.

The newest member of the Jordanian royal family was born on August 3. She is the daughter of Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa and is Queen Rania and King Abdullah's first grandchild.

After the announcement of Princess Iman’s birth, King Abdullah posted a tribute to his granddaughter on social media. Translated from Arabic, the message reads: “I thank God for giving us our first granddaughter, Iman bint Hussein. I congratulate beloved Hussein and Rajwa for their newborn. We ask God to raise her well and protect her for her parents. You have lit up our family, Grandpa!”

Queen Rania also shared her best wishes, and said baby Iman has already “brightened” their lives. “Praise be to God for His greatest gifts … You have brightened our lives with our beloved granddaughter Iman. May God keep her with us. Congratulations to Hussein and Rajwa, and may God fill your lives with blessings and contentment,” she wrote.

Shortly after Iman’s arrival, the Royal Hashemite Court launched a website where Jordanians can wish the new parents well.

Meaning of the name Iman

Meaning faith or belief in Arabic, the name Iman symbolises a sense of conviction and belief in God, which is central to the Muslim faith.

Iman has been mentioned by the Prophet Mohammed in one his recorded sayings, also known as a hadith, where it is described as strength of faith manifested through “a knowledge in the heart, a voicing with the tongue, and an activity with the limbs”.

A derivative of its root word amn is mu'min, which is one of the names attributed to God in Islam. Iman is also used in Islamic theology as a name describing the six articles of faith, also known as arkan al iman, which lays the fundamental beliefs Muslims hold, such as the oneness of God.

Iman is also used in everyday circumstances when referring to someone's belief, trust, conviction and confidence. At the Paris Olympics, Arabic television commentary often used the word eman al fareeq in reference to a team's belief in victory.

Used mostly for females and widely in the Middle East and North Africa and Turkey, variants of the name include Imane, Eman and Emine. There’s already one Iman in the Jordan royal family: Prince Hussein’s sister.